Roughly one-third of the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians who competed in the recent Winter Olympic Games in South Korea will be missing out on the White House visit Friday.
About 200 of the more than 300 athletes who competed in Pyeongchang earlier this year are expected to head to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Trump on Friday for the traditional meet-and-greet between the sitting president and Olympic athletes.
But many of the athletes will be skipping due to prior commitments. Those include the “Stars on Ice” figure skating tour and television competition “Dancing with the Stars,” which will feature four Olympians, with outspoken figure skater Adam Rippon among them.
Snowboarders Shaun White and Chloe Kim reportedly have weddings to attend.
Meanwhile, other athletes chose to skip the event for political reasons.
“The things that Trump has done during his campaign and since he’s been in office that so intensely go against the things that I believe in, I have no desire to go and shake his hand,” freeskier Gus Kenworthy said last year, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Alpine racer Lindsey Vonn also decided last year that she will be skipping her chance to meet the president due to his political leanings.
The traditional White House visit for Olympic athletes and championship teams from a variety of sports has drawn some controversy during the Trump administration as many have chosen to skip the event for political reasons.
